The population of Troy NY, once an industrial hub, and at one time one of the most prosperous cities in the United States, peaked in 1950, and has since declined by 30%, leveling off at around 49,000. The presence of three institutions of higher learning – RPI, a community college, and Russell Sage, would imply that this town, on a river, next to the seat of state government, in a metropolitan area that is the focus of New York State's high technology investment, would be the natural environment for urban renewal. To date, the people have not come back to Troy, and though, unlike its classical namesake, the city is not in ruins, we don't find much evidence of investment in the techniques of advanced dental marketing. What will it take for the Troy to turn the corner? We may find the first signs in new dental office investment.

Today, when Denta+media takes a close look at dental marketing as practiced by the offices of Troy NY, we don't find much, when you consider the median household income of $60,000 exceeds the national average by 10%. After the housing slump of 2008, new household formation in Troy slowed to a crawl, and this may be the one factor that is inhibiting dental office investment. Web site investment by offices in Troy ground to a halt around the same time – the creaky vintage look of the typical Troy dental office web site needs immediate upgrading – a great opportunity for dental marketing companies.

The two leading offices in Troy NY score 15, below the threshold of what Denta+media considers evidence of advanced dental marketing…. but both offices – Matthew Clemente and Cooney Orthodontics show great promise, with creative logos and good use of Facebook as the primary social media outlet. What is lacking is a narrative? At Denta+media we recommend dedication to local community involvement, in particular, sponsorship and participation in health related events tied to charities. When the Dr. is seen as a healer in the community, that profile creates a basis for the story narrative essential to building content in the most important social media outlets such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, where you can build the pictorial timeline of the office's connection to the community – the most important factor for millennials when they make branding decisions.

Troy has lots of opportunities for engagement… We look forward to checking in next year – this month Denta+media is doing a tour of the Albany area, chronicling signs of nascent advanced dental marketing activity.